Spinning line guide



May 26,1942. c. s. BOOKER SPINNING LINE GUIDE Fil'e'd May 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 26, 1942".

' SPINNING LINE GUIDE Filed May 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bg CueT/s G. 800/652 4 sf w c. G. BOOKER 2,284,120

Patented May 26, 1942 7 r,

UNITED?STATES, PATENT pm The lnternational Derrick & Equipment Com pany of Texas, Beaumont, Tex a corporation s of Texas I Application May 29, 1939, Serial No. 276,258

v 2 Claims. (ohm-19o) This invention relates to a' spinning line guide.

An object of the invention is to provide anovel type of guide for the line which is, at times, used for making up the drill stem whereby the line, when so used, willnot interfere with the hoist operator, commonly known as the driller.

In the process of drilling by the rotaryrnethod a line, commonly known as a spinning line, is often used for making up the drill stern, that is, for screwing together the tool joints of the stem in connecting additional sections of the stem to the upper end of the string that has been made up. As each successive length, or section, of the drill stem is added, the made up portion of the stem is lowered into thewellandsuspended by means of slips with the upper end of the made up portion of the stem extending the required distance above the top surface of the rotary table. When the next section of the drill stem is picked up and swung into alignment above the upper end of the made up portion of the string ,oneoperator sets a pair of tongs on said upper end of the made up portion and the spinning-line or cable is wrapped about the said suspended section by another operator, the line or cable bein given a number section. This line is extended through the guide, hereinafter more specifically described and is wrapped about the cat head of the hoist and the line is provided with a branch or fork which is fastened to the tong handle. When the line is drawn taut by an operator ateach end thereof, and upon rotation of the cat head, the suspended section of the drill stem will be rotated and the threaded pin on the lower end thereof will be screwed into the box carried by the upper end of the suspended string. When the pin is' screwed into the box in this way, the operator'holding the end of the line at the rotary drilling machine releases the line and the tongs are then moved upwardly and engaged about the section just attached as stated and thereupon the operator at the cat head end of the line draws the line taut causing a pull to be exerted through the main line and the branch line thus operating the tong and finally tightening up the threads of the tool joint.

In a conventional drilling rig the station of the hoist operator or driller is in approximately a direct line between the cat headand the table of the rotary'drilling machine and accordingly the work of the driller is interfered with by the line during the operations above explained and furthermore the hoist operator endangered in case the line should break or in case he should become entangled therein. The line guide hereof wraps about the suspended inafter more specificaly. described has been designed for .the primary purpose of diverting the line around the station of the driller, or hoist operator, so that the line will not interfere with or endanger said operator.

I Another object of theinvention is to provide a line guide of the character described that maybe readilymounted on the hoist framework out of the way, that is of very simple and durable construction, that maybe so located as not to interfere with workmen aboutthe rig-and that is very efficient to accomplish the intended purpose. -With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certainnovel features of construction, operation and arrange..- ment of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary, side elevation of the hoist showing the line guide mounted thereon. 1 1

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary, perspective view thereof. l 1 2 r v. 1 Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the guide, Figure 4 shows a plan view of the drilling. rig showing the line guide and spinning line in operation,-and i f v i Figure 5 shows a plan view illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly tothe draw embodies also the hoisting drum 2 which is rotatably mounted on the framework of the 'draw works and'which has one end of its shaft extended, on one "side and fixed on said extended.

end there is a drum-like cat head 3. In front of "the draw works there is a rotary drilling machine 4 of any conventional type, a fiat top type of drilling machine being shown. The rotary table 5 of the drilling machine is rotated fromthedraw works, in the usual manner, by means of a sprocket chain which, as shown, is housed within the housing 6. As. is well'known the rotary table 5 drives the tubulardrill stem as 1 to the lower end of which the drill is attached.

In carrying on drilling operations the drill stem must often be withdrawn from the well and as it is withdrawn it is broken up into sections which are stacked in the derrick. When the drill stem is again lowered into the well the sections are screwed together one at a time and the stem,

asmade up, islet down into the'well while making-up the drill stem. The made up portion of tion'of the cat head .3 a pullwill beexerted on the described :h

vertical plate l2 which declines fromits outer the string is suspendedyby conventional from the rotary table and the next succeeding section of the stem is then picked up and aligned over the made up string and the externally threaded pin on the lower end thereof is screwed into the internally threaded box on the upper t l2 there is a shield I8 within which there is end of "the string suspended from the rotary table. In order to'facilitate the screwing together. of the upper section and the made up string beneath. a spinning line 8 isemploye d opened slips,

I4 having the rear wall 15 and within said shield 7 there isj a sheave I G-suitably mounted on a crossspindle l1 whose ends are supported, respectively,

' by the plate l2 and the wall l5. The shield I4 One end of this spinning line is wrapped around the cat head'3 and the free portion'a a, thereof-isheld by an operator. The other end'of the spinning line is wrapped about thesuspended section and the free portion 8b thereof is held by another i operator. The numerals 9 and I0 designate a brake lever and a' clutch shift lever, respectively, whereby the driller may controltheoperatibns of the draw works and the hoist. These are on 7 the same side of thedraw works as the cat head and, it will be noted therefore, that the station of the hoistoperator, or driller, is located in substantially a 'lineib'etween the cathead and the rotary table of the drilling. machine.

When the-section of stem to .be attached to the suspended string is inreadiness to be screwed up the operator holding :the end Baof .the line will pull the lineLtaut while the other end of the line is held by the, other operator and upon rota,-

line "flthusrot'atinga the suspended section ofa-the v drill .stem and screwingiit into the box atthe upper endof the made up portion of the string.

Aconv'entional type of tong'as l I is'p'reviously positioned about :the upperend of the, madepup string suspended byv the slipssoas-to be in readi: ness foruse. e

A branch line 80 is connected at one-end to the main line Band at-itslother end to the free end of the tong handle. .Thisbranch line 80, however, hangs slack while the pin is being 'screwed'homeas above explained but in order .to tighten up the threads,as is necessary, the .tong is then released and elevated and engaged about the upper section. of the .stem and the operator holding theend 8a of theline again pulls it taut and the rotation of the catilhead 3 will ,then exert another pull throughthe-line 8 and so that the safety. of the operator will; not be endangered. For that purpos a .lineguidehas been provided which zwillrnow. be more specifically This line guide is preferably mountedon the top of thehoist framework in frontof the cat head 13; This guide includes anapproximately end inwardly and downwardly and whose lower inner end is suitably anchored; as by welding, to the hoist framework,; or secured theretoin any otherpreferred manner. Secured to said plate and extendingforwardly and downward y therefrom there is a;plate-like leg 13 whose lower,

1 so asnot-to' interfere with surrounds the sheave l6 above.

Supported on the lower inner end of the plate rotatably mounted a sheave l9. This sheave is mounted on the spindle whoseends are suprotate are arranged at approximately right angles to each other as more clearly shown in Figures 2 and'3. The'spinning line 8 operates about the sheaves-l6; I 9 and asa consequence it is evident that said filine will'be diverted around the station where the hoist operator or driller is located his work and so as not to endanger him. 7 Y

Thefa'djacent ends of the shield I2, l8 may be connected by a tube 2! which gives additional strength tothe structure and which forms additional guiding means for the line.

In -the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 the sheavesjto and l 9av are preferably mounted on the framework, of the hoistto rotate about vertical axesandljas' shown,'are in asubstantially horizontal plane. In this embodiment the line spe se mm t a hea a e he s e and on to-thedrill stern as shown in the other figures. These sheaves are. not necessarily mounted in any selected relationship tothe cat station ofthe driller.

' 1,111 wel head but so that the line from the cat head may Pa e 9uedihe s ea e a d 611 t rd the r t table eing diverted by the sheaves around the k V N in other respects, than that above ppintedoutthe embodiment illustrated in;Figure 5 i s thesame as shown in Figure 4.. The drawings and description are illustrative merely, while the broad principle of the invention V. th appende claims! WhatTclaim is: l dri l ngequipmen havinga hoist provided with a cat head at the side of the hoist, for operating a spinning line and a hoist-controlling means on the same side as the cat head; a spinning line guide oliiithe hoist comprising two sheaves,. and a frame including two shields for mounting ithe sheaves on theh'oist one-of the s av s; bs asme n e -i pi e. d m1 alignment with the cat head, and the other sheave being Emountedinthe .otherjshield inalignment with way of said operator, to. interferewith; his work i forward;end is also secured tothehoistframework in any preferable manner as ;by welding.-

' su tablvs qure to th 1.422%..Ql i l findfl t h p ateJ11ie r-it rearl iq z here.is em eue gshield -,r speqt 16 a. P1

' said lines-r d 715T" said iirstsheave and spaced inwardly toward the hoist with the axes of thefsheaves in approximately rightangul ar relation whereby the spinning lihe;fro nthe cat head to ai point in front Of-the hpistwi be offset by saidguide around t ois -.eqet pl n ,means- 2. I n. well drilling equipment having a hoist rovidedzwith a cathead at the side of the hoist, $8 p a in i l s in a a e s c tro'llingfmeans o'rithefsame side as the cat head;

mie l r fq pri n a. l y' of spaced I V V sheavesplocated on the same side of the hoist asjthe catjhead and in front of said cat head, a support tor the sheaves, means for mount- -ingthe support on the hoist at an angle with v ane perpendicular to the axis of thecat head and at an inward directiontoward the hoistwherebythespinning line from the .cat headlo agpoint in irontof the hoist will be offset around said hoist-controlling means by Y cunnsyossooxan. 

